Giant Lunar Solar Panel Could Power Entire World

Japanese engineering and architectural firm Shimizu has proposed a concept that would solve the Earth’s climate crisis with just one form of clean, renewable energy. It sounds a little too good to be true, and the idea is a bit far-fetched, but certainly not impossible to execute. The team, which is known for a series of ‘dream projects,’ proposes to construct a solar panel, dubbed Luna Ring, fitting the moon’s 11,000 km equator.

The belt would be built by robots using lunar raw materials, such as soil, which can be used to make ceramic, glass, oxygen, concrete, solar cells, and even water, by combining with elements imported from Earth. By constructing the panel to fit the lunar equator, direct sunlight would be received 24/7, which would then be transmitted to receiving stations on Earth via microwave and laser power. It may sound like something out of science fiction, but Shimizu is hoping to begin construction in the not too far off future, in 2035.